The first days of autumn still found the farmers’ market stalls abounding with berries, the last chance to have them fresh and in their full nourishing splendor. While sea buckthorn and rosehip slowly replace the red and pink colors of forest fruits with yellow tones, I decided to give a last chance to blueberries, and pair them with the intense green of spirulina in a detoxifying, yet delicious breakfast pudding.
Chia is an ingredient that is never missing from my kitchen, and I often make quick puddings by just throwing together homemade vegan milk, raw honey and a few tablespoons of seeds. It’s highly nourishing, and not only feeds my body with minerals and a good portion of quality plant protein, but also helps me keep my estrogen levels low (as you already know, I’m dealing with hormone imbalance).
The soluble fiber in chia seeds absorbs the excess hormones and cholesterol, preventing them from leaking back into the bloodstream before they are eliminated via the colon. Pairing chia seeds with superfoods like spirulina, bee pollen, and berries creates a detox breakfast loaded with both soluble and insoluble fiber, antioxidants, oxygen, chlorophyll and essential minerals, giving your body everything it needs for a good cleanse first thing in the morning.
Probably the most popular among the berry family, blueberries’ superstar status comes from their powerful antioxidant properties. Their blue and deep red shades announce a high concentration of anthocyanins, but there are also other antioxidants (for example, flavonoids) present in high loads in blueberries, making them a fantastic ally against free radicals. My interest in blueberries is also regarding their fiber and vitamin K load. Soluble fiber is a must in diets for hormone imbalances, while vitamin K is in synergy with vitamin D, which is always lacking in vegetarian diets. As their nutritional values remain almost intact during freezing, I try to add blueberries to my diet year-round, consuming them fresh when in season, and adding them frozen to smoothies and whipped porridges during winter.
Making this layered chia porridge is really easy, and you can pack it in jars to have a nutritious breakfast later at the office. You can use any berries or fruits you prefer – I’m planning to make it again soon, with pureed pumpkin instead of blueberries.
Superfood Chia Pudding
Ingredients
- For the Chia Pudding
- 2/3 cup almond milk
- 1/3 cup chia seeds
- 1/2 cup blueberries fresh
- For the Green Layer
- 1/2 ripe avocado peeled and cut into cubes
- 1/2 tsp spirulina powder
- 3-4 fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 tsp bee pollen
- 1 tsp raw agave nectar
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- Fresh blueberries mixed nuts, mint leaves, to garnish
Instructions
- In a blender add the blueberries, almond milk and agave nectar, and process to obtain an intense colored liquid.
- Transfer into a medium bowl, add chia seeds, mix to combine and set aside for 30 minutes, until the seeds absorb all the liquid.
- Distribute the pudding into the serving jars.
- Add the green smoothie ingredients into the blender and process to obtain a creamy mixture.
- Pour it evenly on top of the chia pudding layer into serving jars.
- Garnish with seeds, mint leaves and bee pollen, and serve or pack for later.
Notes
WOW, was für ein wunderschönes Bild. Eine tolle Farbkombination! Das Rezept werde ich die Tage gleich mal ausprobieren!!! Danke, Drücker Janine
Awww, thanks Janine, I’m sure you will love its flavors! I also fell for these gorgeous colors 🙂
I love the color combination of the purple berries and chia pudding + the turquoise green spirulina! You photographed it beautifully too 🙂
Thank you, Sarah, indeed the color combination is very photogenic 🙂
How beautiful! Just can’t wait to make it for tomorrow morning!
So glad you like it, let me know how it was!
Can cashew milk be substitubed for the almond milk without affecting the nutritional qualities? (I don’t think it will change the beautiful color)
Scarlett, you can use any vegan milk you prefer, they all are a good source of minerals and protein!
Ooh I like the idea of blending blueberries into the chia soaking mixture! Will definitely try that sometime 🙂
Yeah, it’s really delicious, I’m sure you will love it! 🙂
looks so pretty and delicious 😀
https://aspoonfulofnature.wordpress.com/
Thanks Anna, it really was delicious!
This looks amazing, need to try it.
Marta, I love your work and I’m sooo happy you found some inspiration in mine! Thanks for your visit 🙂
Hi!
Can you substitute frozen blueberries for fresh ones? If so, should you alter the amount? Or defrost first?
Thank you!
Sure, you can substitute frozen for fresh, and maintain the quantities. Defrosting is not a must, because the blender will do the work and incorporate them. Let me know how it turned out!
I absolutely love the green colour! It looks amazing. And wonderful photography, just looking at the pictures is a joy. I´ll certainly try it out soon.
Thanks so much! 🙂
This looks amazing! So the agave nectar goes into the pudding part not the green layer part as said in the ingredients?
You can add it to any of the layers, it depends on how much can you stand the spirulina taste. If you’re not really friends with that, than add the agave to the green layer 🙂